Large Number Of Women Suffering From Depression, Anxiety, Study Finds

CBS Local — A startlingly high number of women in Australia were found to be suffering from anxiety or depression, according to a newly released study. Roughly 40 percent of the women surveyed revealed they had been diagnosed with one of the disorders.

The Jean Hailes Women’s Health Survey was released on Aug. 27 and looked into the health issues of over 10,000 Australian women age 18 and over. The study also discovered that 60 percent of women did not get the proper amount of weekly physical activity recommended. The respondents said they were either “too tired” or it was too “hard” to find the time to work out.

Researchers also found that younger women were more prone to anxiety and depression. “The 18 to 35-year-olds had the highest anxiety scores, that’s even more telling,” said the study’s director Dr. Helen Brown. Dr. Brown added that the pressures of social media were largely to blame for the findings.

“I think they put an enormous amount of pressure on themselves to be ‘ever-ready,’ to be on Instagram et cetera, which means they constantly have their phone in their hand and being ready for it.”

The survey also asked women what bothered them over the last two weeks. Half of the replies agreed that they were, “worrying too much about different things.” According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of American (ADAA), nearly seven million Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder. The ADAA says women are twice as likely to be affected by anxiety than men.